Half Hearted Chronicles
by MattiTheWizard
Summary: I would've died if they hadn't found me. With each other's help, we kill for money. But what if all this is wrong? Do these people really deserve death? Is the real meaning of life... to die?" Rated T for language, violence an mild adult themes. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

**HALF HEARTED CHRONICLES**

_As told by MattiTheWizard_

**PART I**

**Prologue**

The bat who was most known for his enormous wings, namely Mattheus Griffin, sat on a couch and stared into a wall.

This was something he found himself doing a lot lately, for no reason whatsoever. As he blankly rested his eyes on the brick palisade separating him from the above world, the body of an echidna walked past him and broke his attention. He shook his head and looked around.

"Dammit, Andy. Can't you see I'm counting bricks here?" Even though this was a lie, at least it settled Matt's worry for his own mental health.

"Didn't mean to disturb ya, dude." Andy said, without turning around.

Matt shifted his look back to the wall, but didn't feel like staring anymore so he stood up and walked over to the kitchen where Andy was.

This was Utopia. Though not exactly a big, flourishing city, but definitely a safe haven for Matt and his crew.

Utopia was a set of rooms matching a small apartment in size, the only difference being the fact that it was hidden in the unorganizable sewers beneath Station Square.

It consisted of 3 bedrooms, a kitchen/living room and a bathroom. Here was the place where the three people calling themselves "The Lawbreakers" ran their business.

Their "business" consisted of being called in when someone needed to get killed or interrogated or just plain forced to obedience by higher powers.

They could, for example, get hired by one drug lord to pick off a certain cop or rivaling lord and get tons of cash and/or different sedatives as payment.

Of course, this caused a lot of police activity and other hitmen hired to kill them, so Utopia was always the place to go when you needed to lose some heat, as it was completely impossible to locate unless you knew where it was.

"Dude, where are you?" Andy asked, snapping his fingers in front of Matt's face.

"I just thought about how practical it is to have Utopia." Matt responded, pulling a beer from the fridge and opening it with his fanged teeth.

"Yeah, I know." Andy agreed, leaning over a counter. "Remember how it was before? In your apartment?"

"Heh, yeah..." Matt snickered.

"Heard anything from Nike?"

"Nah, but he'll be here anytime. He never leaves a job half-done you know." Matt said, taking a swig of beer.

"Got that right." Andy agreed again, running a hand through the loose blond half of his hair. The other half consisted of long black dreadlocks.

Before they could bring up another subject for discussion, the door swung open and a dark green hedgehog stormed in. His hair was sweaty and covered his eyes, indicating that he was in quite a hurry.

They helped him shove the door back in place and stood in silence, waiting for whoever was following Nike to realize that he was gone and give up.

It took about ten minutes before Matt broke the silence.

"How'd it go?" He said, throwing Nike a towel which he happily accepted.

"Just fine!" Nike yelled, tearing his shirt off. "Everything went fuckin' MERRILY!"

"Dude, calm down." Andy said, narrowly dodging a sweaty t-shirt.

"Sorry, I'm just a little agitated." Nike explained. "Damn cops had me in an ambush. Got my target, though." Nike cracked his knuckles.

Matt smirked, picturing the face of the poor guy Nike had gotten to.

"Time to celebrate, eh?" Andy stated, opening a drawer and excavating a bag of... something?

"Something new?" Matt asked, examining the gold-ish powder in Andy's bag.

"You bet. Nicked it at the zoo." Andy smiled, carefully drawing three lines of powder on the counter. "They mix it in the food to calm wild specimen."

"How big?" Nike asked, approaching his two friends.

"Think elephants." Andy said, making all three of them cackle like idiots. "Well, it's-a one and two and THREE!"

They snorted it all at the same time and looked at each other's faces as they began to deform.

"Nike, your nose is consuming Andy. Stop that would ya?" Matt asked, reaching out and grabbing Nike, only to feel him vaporizing at his touch.

"Damn, this is STRONG, man!" He heard Nike yelling before changing form and becoming a platypus. Meanwhile, on an island in the far east, Andy was playing the ukulele with his elbows.

After that it all got foggy...

--

Matt dreamt that the phone rang. He ignored it, because he was too busy watching eight ladies made of clouds striptease in front of him. But the phone kept on being persistent, so he finally decided to open his eyes and notice that he had fallen asleep with his head in the microwave.

With a hangover the size of Mt. Everest, he reached for the receiver.

"Vinnie's cleaning, this is Matt." He answered. On the other end someone yapped about needing his suit waxed, or at least that's what it sounded like. Matt rubbed his sore head.

"Really? Too bad we closed at nine." Matt explained and hung up. He looked at his watch. The long

one was pointing at eleven and the small one towards twelve.

He sighed and started making coffee, but was abrupted by the phone again.

"Café Riccola, we bake 'em, you eat 'em. What can I get you?" He answered. His tired face tightened up when he heard the familiar password that meant a serious customer was one the line.

"Please hold, I'll patch you through." He said in his best secretary voice as he removed the phone from his ear, cleared his throat and put it back, this time with a serious, dark tone.

"Lawbreakers, this is Matt." He asked while claiming some pen and paper, should he need to take notes. "Uh huh, OK." He scribbled down name and address, as well as payment and drop point.

"That all? Right. Have a good day, you bad person." He said, slamming the phone back on the counter.

He read through his notes again.

"Looks easy enough." He thought, pouring himself a cup of morning fuel. This seemed like a very routine job, he could see it playback in his head. "Go in, kill people, get money, buy beer."

He finished his cup and took a few painkillers for the hangover, then fetched a brush. His shaggy dark hair was truly in need of some care, but now all it got was the usual torture.

Before he left, he wrote a message for Nike and Andy below what he wrote before.

_Gone killing. I'll buy dinner. Nice stuff yesterday, Andy! /Matt_

_--_

He got out of Utopia and into The Lawbreakers collective car, an old Ford Mustang. Inside he drove off to find himself a suitable diner and get some grub.

"Never kill on and empty stomach." He said aloud, while slamming a CD into the car stereo. After a few seconds "Mr. Government Man" by Europe filled the car with pumping beats and wailing guitars as Matt sang along and kept rolling along the road this sunny day.

A small while later he noticed a familiar blue hedgehog and his child sitting by a table outside a restaurant. The older on had a large beard and looked contet, sipping an espresso and reading the newspaper.

"I guess it's been quite a while." Matt smiled to himself as he pulled over and parked a bit away.

He walked up to this man and sat down on the opposite chair.

"Well, well. Look who's up." The hedgehog taunted, smirking.

"I'm surprised you got out of bed this morning, old man." Matt retorted, smirking as well. "Hey Kevin." Matt said, nodding at the hedgehog's son, who was sitting beside his father drinking a cola.

Kevin waved lightly in response and returned to his drink.

Matt ordered a chi'ken sandwich and pulled out his cigarettes.

"I thought you quit smoking." The father said.

"I did." Matt said, lighting it and taking a puff. "I started again."

"You know that's gonna ruin you someday. Smokers don't get as many job opportunities either."

Matt pondered what it would be like if everybody knew he freelanced as a hitman. The official story is that Matt is unemployed, you see. That explains the vast amount of free time he has.

"I guess." Matt said, trying to enjoy the last part of his cancer stick before flicking it away.

"Thanks. If you don't mind, try to not do that while he's around." He jerked a thumb at his kid.

"How's the wife?" Matt changed subjects, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Well, wife's happy, I guess..." There was a short pause before he continued. "Kevin's beginning sixth grade this autumn."

"Oh yeah. I totally forgot he was twelve." Matt spoke through a mouthful, snickering at Kevin's angry face. He hated when you joked about his age.

"Did you know that he can run as fast as his father?" The father laughed.

"Really now?" Matt said. "How fast can you go?" He asked the kid.

"I can run faster than most cars." Kevin smiled. "Even some trains."

"If you train hard..." Matt began , leaning closer. "Maybe someday... You can go sonic speed!"

"Yeah!" Kevin exclaimed, falling off his seat and getting back up in a flash.

All the while, the father smiled contently.

"I think I'll call you that." Matt said to Kevin. "From now on, I'll call you Sonic."

"That's a nice nickname." His father said.

"Remember yours, eh? Blitz?" Matt smirked at Blitz, who blushed slightly.

"They called you Blitz, dad?" "Sonic" asked.

His father only laughed heartily.

"What's your nickname, Matt?" Sonic questioned.

Matt thought for a while. "Actually, I don't have one."

"Then I'll call you... Uhh..." Sonic searched the depths of his mind, but only came up with one good name.

"I'll call you Matt the Bat. 'Cuz that's what you are."

Matt smiled. He had gotten a nickname. Suddenly, he felt a sting in his chest, which reminded him that he had an appointment. His smile immediately dropped.

"Look, I gotta go." He said. "Thanks for the company."

He waved goodbye to Sonic and Blitz and got into his car. On the way to North Park, he emptied his mind, not leaving a single thought.

As he pulled into the given driveway, Matt sighed loudly, counted to three and started a stopwatch.

Six minutes and 21 seconds later he came back out and stopped the watch.

"New record." He muttered to himself as he drove away.

--

Notes:

This isn't my first fan-fiction, tough it IS my first submitted one.

It is based on a couple of mine (and my friend's) unfinished story projects, I just decided to try and patch things up a little.

Personally, I think I could've done this a lot better and I might pull it down it you reviewers don't like it. I am, however, going to revise chapter 1 before posting it, so expect a slight gap if you liked it.

Conclusively, I humbly request to to REVIEW. I need some feedback, or I can't possibly make it any better. Well, maybe I can, but you know.

See you all soon.


	2. Chapter 1: It's not the same

Just a note...

I just read a funny comment some mischeavous person left claiming I'm too potty mouthed.

Think for a second. If you look around for a while here on you'll eventually find poorly spelled, bad paragraphed and plainly unreadable documents that remind me of excrement.

At least I spell properly, and it's not bunched together, so what's your problem? Don't keep reding if it hurts your precious virgin eyes too much.

This is my story, and the whole point with these characters is that they're NOT well raised or extremely socialized.

They do drugs because they want to. If you keep reading, you'll notice that it's gonna change. They're down in a swamp for the moment.

Don't get me wrong, I'm completely against drugs in reality. Crack kills, I know, you'll see.

About the swearing...

If everyone of them were to speak like wandering dictionaries you wouldn't quite get the impression that they were outcasts of civil life, no?

I'm not going to ing censor every ing cuss I make, that'll just make the story look like . So if you don't like it, don't read the _extremely graphic contents_.

I removed some of the "dangerous danger" anyway, so your problem should be solved.

**Chapter 1: It's not the same**

**--**

The last week had been slow. No one who had wanted any "real services". Perhaps for normal people, these were good news,

but for The Lawbreakers this meant sour business.

"Oh well!" Nike suddenly exclaimed from his chair. "At least we have pizza."

Matt, who was fiddling with his gun, looked up from the machinery.

"Got that right." He said. "Hey, could you pass me the screwdriver?"

Nike snatched it from a nearby table and threw it over his shoulder. Matt caught it effortlessly.

"C'mon guys." Andy began. "I'm trying to watch TV here."

"In case you didn't notice, so am I." Nike replied. "Matt, the news are on. They still haven't found out who murdered that poor man 'in cold blood'... "

"And they never will." Matt said tiredly as he shuffled over to the to the sofa and threw himself over it.

They watched in silence as they finished their Italian-manufactured junk food.

After the news had ended(obviously raising the question of 'Who can be behind these terrible deeds?') they began watching a weird movie about a librarian and his "crazy" life.

Nike was about to leave anyway, so when the phone rang both his friends looked at him hopefully. He sighed and gave in.

"Aboo's monkey business, this is Abe." He responded. "Oh, you got the pass?... Sure thing, hold on a sec."

He claimed a pen and clumsily scratched down the relevant info he was given. "Consider it done. Have a horrible night."

"Business?" Matt asked without turning to look.

"Yeah, but I'm totally beat... I'll get it done in the morning." Nike yawned loudly, making noises similar to someone who just had spontaneously combusted.

"And Nike?" Andy began. "Don't take any stuff tonight. You know what happened last time..."

"Ah, come on! You were both asleep and the poor guy was desperate for some help!"

"But instead you ended up popping his knees open with a double barrel."

"Whatever, I give up..." Nike sighed and went for his room, mumbling loudly. "God, I hate when they're right!""

--

Even when he heard the familiar tone of his ringing phone, Matt could've sworn he felt the air get thicker. This was not an ordinary job, he knew it.

A man had called and ordered 2 deaths, a couple. First off, Andy was usually the one in charge of group kills but since he wasn't around, Matt decided to do it.

Second, the name of the victims had a weird aura around them.

"Mr. & Mrs. Hiwatari?" Matt grumbled to himself, taking a blow on his cigarette. He leaned it out the window and flicked some ash off, keeping his eyes lock on the road.

He had heard that name before. Somewhere, in the edge of his mind, a little voice told him that the Hiwatari family were infamous for illegal loans and various money frauds.

Though, he remembered that there hadn't been any recent news about them...

He scoffed as he saw the sign for Diamond road and turned right.

This appeared to be a calm little area on the outskirts of town. Thankfully, there was only one neighboring house, and there was no car parked at it so Matt figured there was no one home.

He parked behind a set of tall bushes that fit the car eerily well.

"Perfect." He thought as he put his black coat on and felt his suppressed gun in the holster.

He saw what certainly were his targets for this time. A well rounded middle-aged wolf man and presumably his wife, also a wolf.

He snickered and exited his vehicle, eying the area on last time.

As he edged closer to them they, seemingly oblivious to his presence, went inside the house without closing the door. Matt thanked whatever god that still allowed him to be lucky.

He ended up in a neat, clean hallway, which showed absolutely no signs of criminal activity. In fact, it actually looked rather _pleasant_.

The narrow hall funneled into a bigger hall with doors left and right and a set of stairs leading up. He closed his eyes and listened.

Being a bat, he had naturally advanced hearing and easily located both his targets in the room on the right.

Though, he decided to sneak up on them from the left, and have a little fun instead of just barging in and blasting their faces off.

The room he entered felt weird. Matt listened again, with his eyes opened. There was a faint rumbling on the edge of hearing, it seemed to come from below?

He was very confused. The stairs he noticed earlier only leaded up? He brushed his fingers along the wall, listening for changes in texture...

There. There was definitely something behind here. He moved the low shelf that blocked the wall and nudged the wall lightly. The hidden door wasn't as advanced as the one

leading to Utopia, but it would be invisible for the untrained thief.

Behind it was a set of stairs leading down, of course. Matt closed the hidden door behind him and descended the staircase.

When he got down he realized why someone wanted these people to die.

Hanging from the ceiling, everywhere, there were 100 bills. Nailed to the wall, under the rug, in a used cup on the desk filled to the brim with the cash.

Someone didn't seem to know what to do with their stolen money.

Matt smelled one and judged it as laundered. Okay, maybe they weren't saints after all.

He brought one of them with him as he went back upstairs and walked straight into the living room where the couple were. They were watching TV, facing away from him.

"Wow, I can't believe he just did that to her." The wife commented the soap opera that was on.

"Me neither." Matt stated, scaring the living daylights out of the two.

"Who are you?! Get outta my house or I'm callin' the cops!" The husband said, aiming a dangerous finger at Matt.

"With a house full of these?" Matt said sweetly, waving the money under his nose. "No wonder you're wanted dead."

"You came here to kill me?" The man asked, almost politely.

"I came here to kill you both." Matt explained blankly.

"What? Why!? My wife hasn't done anything!"

"Maybe so." Matt said, turning around and aiming his gun at the wife who took a step back.

"Please, don't harm her!" The husband pleaded.

"Job's a job. You oughta know that."

"I'll do anything, please!"

"Really? Anything?" Matt smirked, lowering his weapon.

"Yes, yes! Anything!"

"My god, you really are pathetic." Matt cocked his gun and was about to pull the trigger when suddenly, the phone rang.

The couple looked in fear as Matt shook his head. He waited for the answering machine to kick in.

"Uh, Hi Mom!" A voice called on the other end. "I just wanna tell you that I'm bringing a friend over today and... well, I hope you and dad are all right. See ya!"

The click felt like it echoed for an eternity.

"No one told me you had a daughter." Matt said, looking Mr. Hiwatari in the eye.

"What'll she do if you kill us?!" The man was now crying openly, embracing his wife.

"I dunno. Live, probably." Matt shrugged.

"You won't kill her? She's only twelve years old..." The man seemed to shine for a little, until he remembered he was doomed anyway.

"It's not in my contract. I don't kill only for fun."

"I have one last wish, please?" The man pleaded. Matt nodded.

"Do it fast." The wish made Matt shudder lightly. He wasn't used to doing requests.

"... Fine." He walked up to them and fired twice without looking at them, each one hit their forehead with as little time in between as Matt could do.

He then stood there in silence for a while before removing his suppressor and firing four shots in the ceiling.

The last ones were only for his own conscience. He didn't want their daughter to find them herself, and he had noticed the neighbor's car had returned.

He hurried out the back door and used his wings to fly on top of the house. There he sat and watched as the neighbor, a slim male cat, hurried into the house.

Matt closed his eyes and scoffed.

When he opened them again the saw what he didn't want to. A small wolf followed by a calf. He flew past them above their vision and got into his car.

He felt slightly nauseous as he drove past them quickly to get a avoid seeing the wolf's face.

After he passed them he put the pedal to the metal and speeded towards the pick-up point.

The feeling in his gut churned, trying to tell him something that he didn't want to hear. At least not right now.

--

He found himself stopping at a bar not too far away from his goal. He sat down on a stool at the counter.

"What'll it be?" The bartender asked.

"Hit me as hard as you can." Matt said solemnly.

"Okay!" The bartender joked, pretending to hit Matt. There was no reaction. "...All right. Just trying to cheer you up. You looked so-"

Matt stared at him evilly.

"Fine, fine. Just hang on a minute."

Matt looked down again. His head was full of what he just had done.

He had changed that girl's life forever, and he'd never even thought of it that way before. He saw his targets as targets and not as people who had lived a whole

lifetime of experiences and relations. Just by this small-time hit, he had changed the lives of so many, forever.

Life was never going to be same and now it made him sick.

And thirsty.

He noticed the tall glass filled with a poisonous minty color and a matching smell.

"What is that, liquid poison?" Matt asked, waving away the smell from his nose.

"98 pure alcohol. The other 2 is lemon." The bartender smiled. "Are you sure you wanna-"

Matt took the whole thing in one large gulp.

"...drink that."

Matt heard someone clapping behind him. He didn't turn to see who it was.

"'You can hold your liquor pretty well." A female voice that simply was meant for this kind of thing stated.

"You don't say." Matt replied flatly.

The female bat sat down next to him. Her hair and fur were a dashing white and she wore black and pink clothing. She put one of her sculptured legs across the other.

"I'm Rouge." She said deeply and winked at him.

"Good for you." Matt said obliviously.

Matt suddenly felt her hand stroking his back, which was exactly what he needed. His upper body collapsed onto the counter as he shuddered fiercely.

"God damn it, that is so gooooouuuaaaahhhh..." He couldn't even finish the sentence before she hit another knot in his back.

"Boy, you're tense." Rouge said. Matt didn't listen. He was completely lost.

Or so Rouge thought.

When she removed her hand, Matt unexpectedly grabbed it and the shock made Rouge jump.

"Before you go..." He said, turning around.

He slid his hands across her beautiful chest, down her back and almost...

"Touch my ass and I'll kill you..." Rouge said without switching tone from seductive to serious.

"Don't worry..." Matt said, completely calm. "I'm just taking back my wallet."

As he retreated from her, he waved his tattered wallet and reattached it to it's chain.

"What? How'd you-?" Rouge asked dumbfoundedly.

"Don't pick on mountains, when there's plenty of pebbles." Matt stated, walking past her out through the door.

She stood for a long time looking at him and he didn't even look back once.

"I wonder how he felt that? Did he just know? How could he act so- Wait a minute, something's missing..." Rouge thought, realizing too late that he had taken her wallet too.

Suddenly the bartender noticed something.

"He didn't pay for his drink!"

--

Notes:

Ah, here's my first REAL chapter. I've completely re-worked it, hope you all like it.

Also, you people reading and thinking;

"Man, this is good! But I'm too lazy to leave a comment, durr..."

Please, if you like it, knowing your opinion always makes writing a whole lot easier for me. Reading a review gets my lust for writing hit the top.

So I guess you can say, the more reviews I get, the faster this story will be done. This also goes for you haters. I won't stop writing just because you tell me to.

Also, here's the disclaimer I forgot last time:

**All characters and places except my own belong to SEGA.**

I basically only own the situations I put them in.

See ya later!


	3. Chapter 2: Reason for the Cold

**Chapter 2: Reason for the cold**

Her day had been really fun. The class had been split into groups and Felicia the wolf ended up with some of her best friends, including a certain calf named Tilda.

Before this Felicia had looked down on Tilda because she was such a... girly girl while Felicia herself was more of a tomboy, but today she had seen the better sides of Tilda and they were now walking beside each other on the way home to Felicia.

Even though she was very happy, she could sense something wasn't quite right.

"Felicia?" Tilda asked.

"Hmm?" She looked over at Tilda. There was worry in her face. "Nevermind. It's probably nothing."

This made them both smile together and remain calm for a while. But something still ate at Felicia. She decided to share it with Tilda.

"Maybe we should call mom an tell her you're coming with me?"

"Yeah, good idea." Tilda handed Felicia her cell phone and she dialed her home number quickly.

After a few signals, it went to the answering machine. Felicia said what she needed to and hung up. She felt a little better.

"Come on, let's hurry home." She said, and they both chased each other.

As they got closer the uneasy feeling kept growing, both when a red car drove by them like it was fueled by liquid lightning and when she saw the door to her house wide open, she turned pale and ran towards it. She knew her father had been doing things he thought she didn't know about but they couldn't be that serious-

Her thoughts were cut short when she was stopped in the doorway by her neighbor, a cat named Andrew. His eyes were filled with horror and his hands had sinister red stains on them.

"Felicia, call an ambulance!" He ordered her. She picked up her phone and dialed the number that she had learned was only used when there was an emergency. She told the operator everything he asked for; name, address, what happened, don't hang up, we're on our way etc.

"...Dewie?" She ran up to her neighbor and tugged his bloody sleeve. In the corner of her eye she could see Tilda frozen with fear. Felicia beckoned for her to come over.

"Felicia, I..." Andrew began crying. "I couldn't... There was nothing I could do..."

He knelt down and held them both as they all cried. They embraced like that until the ambulance and police car came, then Andrew explained that he had to talk to the policemen, and that they should go and wait in his house.

The two children were both pale like winter when they kicked their shoes off in his hall. They walked two steps in before Felicia broke down.

"My parents are dead!" She screamed as loud as her lungs allowed. "Why, dad? Why!?" Somehow, she just knew that it had something to do with her fathers' shady business.

"How can you know that?" Tilda asked through tears.

"I just do!"

--

Andy watched as Matt walked into Utopia and threw a bag of money on the kitchen counter. From the looks of it, Matt was troubled by something.

"Bad back?" Andy asked.

"It's the opposite." Matt said, holding his forehead. "You know what, it's a long story. Got anything that'll put me to sleep?" He said and collapsed in a nearby armchair.

"Yeah, just hang on for a second." With that, Andy disappeared. Matt was alone.

As usual.

But somehow, it felt wrong. Was guilt nagging on him? What was he gonna do about it anyway? He had to get rid of this feeling. And Matt's way of dealing with things like these is going to sleep.

Andy returned with a pill and some water. Matt looked at it in disbelief.

"...One? Are you kidding me? 'Cause I'm not in the mood for-"

"Matt, one will be enough. Trust me. Who's your doc, eh?" Andy smiled reassuringly.

Matt sighed and threw back the pathetic thing. He waited a few seconds.

"It not working-" He could barely utter the last pronunciation because he was already asleep.

"I told you so." Andy walked away.

The phone rang. Andy didn't really hurry to pick it up. He never hurried. He was fast like a mosquito in combat, but he was never in a hurry. He blamed ganja.

"Triforce videogame store, may I grant your wish?" He answered.

"Does Matt work here?" A female voice on the other end said.

"Depends. There are many Matts around here." Andy was just playing stupid, of course.

"A bat with big wings and my wallet."

"Wait a second." Andy looked at the counter where Matt had placed the payment. True to the word, a pink wallet lay shining on the top. "Oh, I see."

"Can he give it back?"

"Well, ahh... He's not here right now, should I leave a message?"

"Yeah, tell him to haul his butt to Midnight Babylon with Rouge's wallet, pronto!" The angry female voice yelled before hanging up.

"Oh boy, what have you gotten yourself into THIS time, Matt..." Andy muttered and went to get the smelling salts. "This is gonna hurt."

--

Now he was just plain pissed off. Before, he was just mad as hell, but now he was pissed off.

"Where the hell is she?" Matt growled to no one in particular, standing at the corner of the street where he had been "ordered" to meet his counterpart.

He took a puff on his cigarette and exhaled the sweet poison.

"That'll kill you one day." Was the first thing she said.

"If I hear one more person say that, I'm gonna curl backwards and eat my own ass."

Rouge smirked. Matt drew a final drag on his cigarette and flicked it far, far away.

"Here's your stupid wallet, now stop bugging me." Matt said, handing over that wallet and turning around to leave.

"Whoa there, can't you stay for a while? Let's talk a little..."

"Let me think about it... Hmm... No?" Matt resumed walking.

"In soviet Korea, banana peels you." Rouge kept a smirk on, even after she dodged a punch capable of knocking her jaw off.

"Where did you get the password!?" Matt was now furious. No sleep, No booze, No sex and No peace. He could die there on the spot if he was to lie down on the concrete.

At least he had just smoked.

"I have some contacts..." Rouge whispered. Matt grit his teeth loudly.

"Just tell me what you want." Matt ordered. "Before I shoot you."

"Why the haste?" She snaked around him. He kicked for her shin, but she jumped just in time.

"Where's your hideout? No-one's ever found you or your 'crew' so it's probably somewhere really, really safe..." He tried to punch her in the face but she managed to avoid it once again.

"You really think I'm just gonna tell you? Seriously?" He managed to shove a knee in her gut, causing her to reel backwards. "Now piss off. Before I change my mind."

"I want in!" She exclaimed through heavy panting.

Matt stared at the lithe figure bowing in pain before him.

"What the hell is your problem? You've 'known' me for what, one day? And still you think it's completely fine you jump down my throat." He glanced over her shapes. "Besides, how old are you? I'm not gonna keep this up if you're underaged."

He didn't really expect anything, but was obviously taken aback when she replied;

"I'm 19." Matter-of-factedly.

Matt scowled.

"Look, I'm not discussing this with you anymore now. Go home or whatever, just leave me alone."

With that he quickly flew off, leaving Rouge standing at the crossroads, staring at her one chance to get a step higher than pickpocketing fluttering into the distance.

"If I ever want off these streets, he's the only way." She thought. "Wait... Maybe not?"

--

A few days later, Matt found himself smoking out from the car window. Nike was driving.

They had taken on a job to pick off an infamous gang leader, and realizing the obvious(big leader equals lots of underlings) they decided that both of them were needed.

They would've brought Andy as well, but he was heading off to some concert with a ridiculous ska band that Nike and Matt tried to avoid.

"Nearly there." Nike said flatly. Matt felt good with company. Usually, he preferred loneliness, but there was something strange in the air again. Matt wondered if Nike felt it too?

"Hey Nike." Matt asked, grabbing his attention. "How's this gig feel to you?"

"What's that?" Nike replied. Matt sighed.

"Nevermind."

The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

Nike pulled to a stop nearby a tall building.

"Ready?" He smirked at Matt, who smirked back at him.

"All aboard!" Nike screamed as he pushed the poor car's limits to their edge by slamming the gas and heading right towards the entrance.

The car easily crushed the glass doors and the first guards didn't stand a chance against the combined forces of Matt & Nike.

Before long, they had made their way to the top floor and it was time to break open the last door, action-movie style.

"You wanna do it?" Nike asked.

"Nah, I did it last time. It's your turn." Matt smiled, as a bullet whizzed by his face.

"What the? I thought we got them all!"

"I'll take care of them, you go get the big boss!" Nike roared , brandishing a pair of sub-machine guns.

Matt nodded and with the help of his wings, he struck the door open.

--

Inside he found a suit-clad lion sitting by his desk.

"Ah, a hitman. Do sit." The man beckoned for Matt to sit down in a chair opposite to him.

Matt obliged.

"So. Now that you're finally here, let's have a drink. Champagne?"

"Whiskey. On the rocks." Matt replied, before realizing how awkward the situation was.

"Wait a minute, I come here to kill you and you pour me a brandy?"

"That seems to be the situation." The man said, handing Matt a glass while sipping some of his own.

"If you want to enjoy your last seconds, I could leave you alone, you know." Matt said, standing up.

"As a matter of fact, I'd actually prefer some company. And you don't seem like the usual brute." Matt sat down. "Many people have tried to kill me, but none have gotten this far. You're the first."

"Well, I used a method most mercenaries don't." Matt stated, taking a sip. Man, that's good.

"Oh, and what might that be?"

"Companions." They shared a smirk.

"I have one single request." The man said.

"And that is?" Matt asked, finishing his drink.

"Do it quickly." The man replied, without a trace of worry in his face.

"I might." Matt lied. "Frankly, I just wanna get outta here."

"Is that doubt I sense?"

"Heh, doubt?" Matt began. "That's something I've been having a lot of lately."

"Why keep this up then? Why continue murdering people for money?"

"What else can I do?" Matt crashed back into the chair he'd been sitting in before. It creaked heavily. "You know what? A few days ago I killed two parents while their kid was on her way home. She called right while I was aiming my gun at them. Then, I saw her on my way back to Utopia."

"Utopia?"

"Underground hideout. Safe from everyone. It in the sewers below Station Square."

"You're telling me this because...?"

"You're dead anyway." Matt reminded him. "By the way, I think it's time for me to leave."

Matt heard the ruckus outside fade away. Nike must be finished, he thought.

"Time to go?" The man asked. "I enjoyed speaking with you."

"Yep. Thanks for letting me open up to you." Matt smiled before putting his gun to the man's face.

"Sayonara." Matt said, and pulled the trigger.

--

"Done?" Nike asked Matt, who just exited the room.

"Done and done." Matt said, looking around. "You?"

Nike just smirked and cracked his knuckles. All over the walls there were blood and various other pieces of people, not to mention the floor.

So let's not mention it.

"Let's hurry back. I need an aspirin." Matt held his forehead. "And some liquor."

--

Chapter 2 is done! Sorry it took so long. I hope people are still reading this...

I'll keep writing anyway. If nothing else just to PWN you haters out there.

See ya!

/Matti


	4. Chapter 3: Sgt Pepper's lonely heart

**Chapter 3: Sgt Pepper's lonely heart**

"_Beat on the brat with a baseball bat, oh yeah!" _Joey Ramone belted out.

Matt sighed. What was going on? Usually, listening to Ramones always got his blood pumping, but now it just seemed to make his world even darker.

He switched CD's to some Rolling Stones. The first song made him chuckle.

"_No colors anymore, I want them to turn black..." _Matt sang along softly.

He went over to his room and crashed onto his bed, hitting his head on the pistol he kept hidden under his pillow.

It was an old habit of his tracing back to the time when he'd been traveling the cities hotel by hotel. There was always someone out to get him and even now, so many years later, he still didn't feel safe without the trusty Colt under his head.

Over by his wall he remembered his mini fridge, which he had sworn to never keep any alcohol in. No, that's what the big one was for.

He opened it's small door again, revealing nothing more that a pack of bacon.

And some orange juice.

He took the juice and stabbed it with the straw. It gave out a satisfying 'POP' as he did so.

Matt walked out of his room again and over to the kitchen. He excavated a bag of chips and moved to the couch.

"Hey, gimme some." Andy said, reaching a hand out from his slouched position in an armchair.

Matt tossed him the bag . Andy examined him.

"Dude, what's wrong?" He asked worryingly.

Matt sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Is it about what we're doing?"

"... Yeah." Matt looked away.

"Hey, it's too late now. You've got to stand up, to the end." Andy said.

"What end? I don't see myself stopping anytime soon." Matt replied. "Besides, I wouldn't be safe on the streets. Everyone's out to get me nowadays."

"We're all in the same boat here; You, me and Nike. We have to stick together, and keep each other safe from worries like these." Andy reached out a hand and put it on Matt's shoulder.

"That's what brothers are for." Andy smiled warmly. Matt shone up as well.

"You're right." He began. "You two are the only family I have right now. Even though we're from completely different backgrounds."

"Now roll yourself a doob." Andy suggested. Matt found himself... declining?

"Nah, I'm good. I'm headed for bed anyway-"

He was cut short by the damn phone ringing. He cursed under his breath and picked it up.

"Yeah, whaddaya want?" He spat.

A few seconds of talk later he hung up and grabbed a pistol.

"Job?" Andy asked politely.

"Hmph, yeah." Matt scoffed.

"Remember what I said." Andy smiled, returning to his book.

Matt didn't know what to think. Instead he just left and drove away. Too fast and too far, just like the song on the radio...

--

At least the hit was successful. Stupid cop tried to go renegade, but now he ended up dead, thanks to Matt.

Speaking of whom, Matt was currently crouching behind cover along with his two companions, staking out a big hit.

"Earnest DeVito." Nike repeated the name to himself. "Sounds like someone from 'Pimp my ride'."

"In this case, it's rather 'Ride my pimp'." Andy corrected. "He's been selling refugees as slaves for several years and the feds don't even seem to notice or care..." Andy's face showed clear disgust as he spat the last words.

"This guy's got so many goons stuffed up his loading ramp, he's about to explode. We'd better tread carefully." Matt suggested, noting the amount of tall muscular guards in front of the old warehouse.

"Why are we going into this warehouse anyway?" Nike asked, shifting slightly.

"Because the head honcho himself is checking the quality of the latest import batch." Andy said bitterly.

He was a refugee himself once; thus he knew what it was like being someone important in one place and being worth less than dog food in the other. Not even his exceptional fighting skills had been enough to fend off the slavers from his village.

He looked away for a while before turning into his old self again.

"I wanna kill something." He stated emotionlessly.

The remaining two nodded in agreement. This was gonna be a tough ride, but they we're gonna make it. Together. Their hands met in front of them as a sign of trust.

Then they unpacked the heat...

--

Getting in wasn't really a big deal. The big deal was that neither one of the Lawbreakers had planned for when they came inside.

They hadn't guessed that dear Earnest would take a hostage.

"Take one step and I'll blow her BRAINS OUT!" Mr. DeVito said, holding the poor female in front of his shuddering body.

"Like I care." Nike said, wiping his knife on his boot. "We're just here to kill you."

Matt reloaded his gun and lit a cigarette. They had their target in a corner, so there was no real haste.

"You people are SICK! You know that!? SICK SICK SICK!" Earnest spat, triggering Andy.

"Who the FUCK are you calling sick, you miserable excuse for a human being!?"Andy said heavily. "Let that girl go so I can kill you with my bare hands!"

"NO!" With that, Earnest aimed his gun at Andy.

But he never got the time to shoot. Something stung him through his abdomen, like the girl had ejected a spike. He knew that was impossible. The only logical reason was...

"MATT! YOU SHOT HER!" Andy screamed, rushing to the girls' side. She was still breathing, at least for a little longer. Andy said something that could very well have been a prayer in his native language, before standing up and kicking DeVito in the face. Earnest grunted in pain.

Matt stood still. What was Andy so upset about? They couldn't leave any witnesses anyway, and he got a good hit. Earnest DeVito would likely bleed to death in an hour of so.

"C'mon, let's go. He finish bleeding-" Matt was cut off by a punch to his chin, causing him to reel backwards.

"Andy, what the hell are you doing!?" He yelled, barely dodging one of Andy's lightning fast kicks.

"Why!? Why!? Why'd you do it!?" Andy roared, trying to keep Matt from evading by hitting everywhere at once.

Suddenly they both felt like they were getting lighter. Then their heads collided fiercely before they slumped to the floor.

"Stop fighting you two! We can work this out like grown men." Nike stated, picking them up again.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Matt yelled at Andy. "It's no use! We can't leave any witnesses!"

"She couldn't even talk our language! What could she possibly squeal about!?" Andy retorted.

"Her life was already ruined! What could she become except a slave? She would be used for sex until the day she contracted an STD and got disposed!"

"I started out like this too!" Andy cried. "I was traded like goods! But I managed to get up and get out! What says she couldn't have!?"

"Shape up, you stupid moron. I'm right and you know it!" Matt stated. Truly, he was right. That just made the needle inside Andy twitch even harder.

"Fuck you, I'm going back to Utopia." Andy said, turning around.

"Now that you said the name, why not just yell it out loud? 'OUR HIDEOUT IS BELOW STATION SQUARE'!"

Andy didn't turn around, he just kept walking. Nike came over to Matt.

"Are you gonna be ok?" He asked politely. Andy and Matt got into squabbles every now and then, and Nike usually sided with Andy because he had no good way of treating his grief.

"I'll just walk my evil ass over to a bar and drink myself beyond recognition." Matt responded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Cuz I'm heading back... I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure, whatever." Matt said, walking towards Nike's opposite direction.

--

"I need something big and bad." Matt said, taking a seat in an uncomfortable corner-couch here at a rundown restaurant.

"May I suggest a glass of Choke Hold?" The sweet waiter asked.

"Sure, just give it to me." Matt said, holding his forehead. Headache on the way.

A few looooooong minutes later she returned with a glass of inviting yellowish liquor.

"Maybe you need something else?" The waiter said, moving closer.

"If you're gonna steal my cash, don't bother. Someone beat you to it." Matt said obliviously.

"That's not what I meant." She continued, now her hand placed against his scruffy chin.

"Oh, I get it." Matt said, grabbing a hold of her face an pulling her into a kiss.

The flowing feeling Matt had reminded him that it was a long time ago since he'd gotten any sexual tension relieved.

"How much is this gonna cost?" Matt said flatly.

"Don't worry, it's on the house." She smiled and reached in beneath his t-shirt.

All the years he'd laid down on training had surely left their traces along his body. He was tall and athletic, though his "sins" were catching up with his weight nowadays.

He felt encouraged to respond and carefully undid her shirt. Her body hadn't received specific work, but she was quite pretty all in all.

Her bra followed suit and revealed the two mounds of flesh and blood that proved, at least to some extent, that she was female.

"There's a room in the back..." She whispered.

"I guess I got nothin' better to do." Matt thought and lifted his girl and drink before straying towards the rear of the building.

--

"Heh, I got you now, Matt the Bat!" Someone thought...

--

Notes:

SORRY SORRY SORRY for the late update! I got a writers' block, and just as it passed my dear father pooped over my Internet, unabling me to update!

"Oh noes!" Matti said, staring at his computer. "My connection is nonexistent!"

"HURR HURR HURR!" A Noob said from behind. Matt spun on his bed and pondered how the Noob got there.

"Taste my sword of WRATH!" Matti screamed, cutting the Noob in half.

He turned back to his story and realized that someone had written a pleasant review.

"Thatnk you, Asreil!" Matti says, blowing kisses at his monitor. "The world needs people that R&R!"

That concludes my pointless rant for this chapter. Tune in next time for more pointless rant and maybe some more depressive society hating from our beloved bat.

Next chapter will include a BIGASS turning point in the story that you CANT forsee.

Matter of fact, if you manage to guess right, I'll personally give you a pack of Oreos. Seriously.

Write your answer right below here, to the left. Click "Submit review" and write!

/Matti

Answer below! x)


	5. Chapter 4: Blue skies crying

**Chapter 4: The sun beneath my feet**

It was a day like any other. Matt fell out of bed, but it didn't hurt much though. He walked out into the kitchen and realized that there was no coffee. He sighed and turned around.

He noticed that Andy had appeared from nowhere and was now standing right before Matt.

"You forgot your iPod at Heather's place last night." Andy said.

"Yep, sure did." Matt added. Pouring invisible coffee into his cup and taking sip.

It was very bitter and he poured it on Andy, who seemed to enjoy it.

Then he saw someone behind Andy. A small girl which looked exactly like the one-

Matt gasped. It was her! The one whose parents he'd killed a week ago. She stared at him emptily.

"Its'... it's you..." Matt could'nt shape any words, they just appeared to cling to his tongue and refuse to let go.

As he tried to wriggle loose anything intelligent from his vocal chords, he realized that it was impossible..

He'd lost his voice.

Matt desperately squealed, now trying to make comprehensible sounds instead of words. Andy had dissipated, but the girl was still there. The room twisted and bent, becoming something you'd see in an expensive horror movie.

"The worst part is..." The girl began in an odd tone. "I don't blame you."

Matt tried to respond, but he just couldn't make a sound.

The girl suddenly screamed and covered her face, as if her eyes hurt. She cried and cried, Matt noticed the red streaks oozing through her fingers.

He reached out towards her but she wailed loudly, like a dying dog, and removed her hands.

Matt's world screeched to a halt. She was holding her eyeballs in her blood-soaked hands, still crying from the now empty pits of her face.

He knew he was unable to scream, but he couldn't help trying. He suddenly began feeling a sting behind his face, like his skull was trying to press it off. He raised his hands in defense, but they didn't prevent his eyes from-

--

The hangover he had right now was beyond mercy.

Matt felt like someone had literally run him over with a big, BAD truck.

The dream had left him sweaty and frightened, but his eyes were still intact, and it was just his imagination.

He sighed and crawled out of bed, into the bathroom for a glass of water. He had a foggy idea of where he was, but something told him that he shouldn't stay.

Something always told him that, but it had never failed him before. He finished his water and walked out into the bedroom again.

His eyes, now adjusted to the morning light, saw the mess he and that... thing in the bed had created the night before. He sighed.

He managed to squeeze himself back into his tight black jeans, but his white t-shirt seemed just a little bit too small. Finally, he grabbed his leather coat and left silently, leaving no trace of him ver being there.

Next objective; find a way home.

He could probably navigate all the way but it would be much faster if he had a vehicle. He turned his head in search of one.

He couldn't believe when he hit the jackpot twice in a row. First he saw a car, a silver sedan, then he realized that the keys were still in the ignition. Matt smiled.

Hotwiring never was in his area of expertise.

Matt picked up his phone and dialed home while driving. Oddly enough, there was no reply.

"Oh well." He thought. "They're probably out eating ice cream or something stupid like that."

He reached for his smokes but noticed that his pack was empty.

"Great." He muttered.

He pulled over at a kiosk and paid for two packs, deciding like so many times before that these were going to be his last ones.

As he lit the first one and took a puff, he could've sworn he saw someone standing on a roof a bit away.

He wouldn't have cared if whoever it was hadn't climbed to the very edge of the building.

"Is she gonna...?" He heard someone saying. "Holy hell, she's gonna jump!"

Matt usually wouldn't have minded, but inside him, his soul struggled to make him understand something.

"Something tells me..." He mumbled. "I gotta save her."

--

Her world was shit.

Her parents were shit. Her sister was all they cared about. Her teachers were shit. Her boyfriend was an even bigger shit than the rest.

No-one ever gave a shit about her. They'd all forgotten about her they day her stupid sister had popped out of her mothers' belly.

But now, it was all gonna end. She looked down at the cars and up into the sun.

"What a wonderful day to die on." She mumbled to herself. A crowd had gathered beneath her. She could make anyone out, except for a big black mane with unusually big wings. No matter.

She took a deep breath...

Exhaled it...

So many times she'd cut her wrist... Nobody ever saw or cared.

She took another breath.

All the times she'd been pushed around, beaten and battered. Raped and freezing.

She drew a final puff of air and began counting.

3...

She closed her eyes.

2...

A tear slowly fell. Why did it have to end like this?

1...

She took a step into the air.

The end.

She gasped as she hit the ground faster than she'd expected.

Or?

"You're damn lucky I was around." She opened her eyes and recognized the black hair and fluttering wings. "Or you'd be a pancake by now. A good looking one."

"Why did you save me?" She asked quietly. "You don't know me."

"Why not? I usually kill people. Thought It would be fun to try the opposite." The bat gazed as he continued to fly upwards, back to the roof.

"I..." She began crying. "The only one who ever cared doesn't even know me."

The bat smirked. "Nice life, eh?"

"If you only knew."

They landed on top again and he let her down slowly.

"Thank you." She hugged him closely.

"Don't sweat it." He said. "Your parents are down there. I heard them. If you tell them how you feel, they'll forgive you."

"How can you know?" She asked.

"I just can." He smiled. "What's your name?"

"Carrie Tigess." Which was a stupid name, because everyone thought she'd misspelled tigress. But, it was spelled Tigess.

"I'll remember it." The bat said, beginning to fly off.

"Wait, what's yours?" Carrie yelled after him.

"Matt. My name is Matt." He replied, and disappeared.

Carrie smiled at him until he was gone.

"I wonder what Trici will say now that I've been saved by a knight in shining armor and she hasn't?" Carrie smirked dastardly.

--

Matt took the corner sharply and parked in the shadows, When a feeling in his stomach nearly made him want to throw up. He didn't know why, but it felt like something was wrong with his friends.

He realized uneasily that he didn't have a gun.

"They'd better be all right." Matt muttered. He didn't know for who's sake, though.

The way through the sewage system seemed eerily long and solemn, and Matt almost got lost for the first time since they had moved in here.

At last he found the passage. From the outside, it looked indistinguishable from the rest of the brick-clad walls, but when you knew what Matt knew it was almost obvious.

He hadn't heard anything from them since the fight yesterday, and now he was worried sick.

The door slid open slowly. When he saw what had happened inside, his jaw hit the floor.

Utopia was completely ruined. There must've been world war 3 in here because everything was riddled with bullet holes, slashes and various marks. If it wasn't trashed beyond recognition.

Matt took a step inside and saw numerous dead bodies. They looked like hitmen and they were armed with a military amount of weaponry. There was blood on every single detail.

Where the kitchen counter once had been was now a smoking pile of wood and twisted metal, and the TV and couches were too broken to ever use again.

The door to Nike's room was bent and unopenable, while Andy's had been kicked in and was hanging on one hinge, creaking loudly. Matt's room stood battered, the door was intact but open.

Matt looked inside and realized he shouldn't have.

On the bed, Andy was lying lifeless and covered in blood from top to toe. His clothes were ripped and full of holes from bullets. Crimson liquid still dribbled from the sheets that he lay on.

Opposite to the door, Nike had sat himself down with his shotgun and was still aiming it for the door, even though his injuries and blood loss had gotten to him.

He was dead. So was Andy. Matt closed the door and walked three steps before falling face first into the cold floor while screaming uncontrollably.

Matt had never been so afraid before. Now he was truly alone in this world. He sat for a full hour, back leaned against the wall, just staring emptily at what had been the only safe place he'd ever had.

He decided that he was going to kill himself. He couldn't stand this life anymore. It had fucked him over his entire miserable life, and now it was time to rest.

But first, there was one last thing to do.

He opened his bloodshot eyes and began laughing so evilly that a child molesting serial killing psychopath would've shuddered.

"I'm gonna..." Matt began, still laughing. "You're all gonna die."

He was going to claim revenge. Whoever did this was gonna wish he'd kill them.

His mind was lost forever. This was the new goal of his life.

"They... must be... dead..." He said, loading his gun, gathering his senses.

"It's payback time."

--

Notes:

Oh man, this is bad. The world is doomed!

Like I said before, read and review, please. I know more of you have read it.

Not much left now. Who's the man behind this?

Tune in next time for Half Hearted Chronicles.

/Matti


	6. Chapter 5: The last meal

**Chapter 5: The last meal**

Matt sat and stared into the night. The streetlights did their proper job, at least to some degree.

He was hell bent on getting revenge but he had absolutely no idea of where to start. Gathering info? Perhaps. But where? The hobos would probably not have observed anything.

No, he needed to aim higher. But who?

He shook his head. The questions puzzled his head, making his thoughts seem like and endless bush.

Raising his hands, he realized they were shaking heavily.

"Fuck." He spat, trying to center his mind again.

Before anything, he was at least gonna get a hold of some booze.

The bat carefully rose to his feet and walked off towards the nearest liquor store.

Luckily, he found one not far off. A bell gave away a stupid sound as he opened the door.

"May I help you?" A young clerk asked. Matt shook his head and grabbed a few bottles with anything higher than 80 alcohol content.

"That'll be 30." The clerk said cheekily.

Matt dug out his wallet and placed it on the counter.

"It's yours. Take what you need." He said and began leaving.

"Wait! Isn't it important to you?" The clerk asked.

Matt thought for a while, before replying.

"You know what, kid? Get yourself a real job."

--

He still couldn't believe it. They were both gone. After all they'd been though, it had just ended. If he hadn't begun fighting with Andy, he could at least have died together with them...

But now he had to keep on living. For a while.

Soon, it was all gonna be over. When he got his hands on the on responsible...

Let's just say, he'd wish he hadn't been born.

Matt felt his tears welling up. They stung sharply as they traveled their way across his cheek and off his face, like they were made of acid. He collapsed into a pile, but got up.

"Just a few more hours..." He thought.

--

"How strong did you say this was?" Matt asked the dealer.

"This is danger, hermano." He replied. "It'll take your mid off anything. Guaranteed."

"How much?" Matt asked emotionlessly.

"From your condition? I'll give you some for free." The dealer handed Matt a bag, containing a n ominous liquid.

"Thanks." Matt stated, leaving.

"Take care, ese." The dealer strode off into the darkness and left Matt alone on the road again.

Matt looked at the bag. The contents looked disgusting. Really.

He shrugged and opened it.

The dealer had told him to sniff the fumes, and not to take too much.

Matt inhaled deeply. It smelled like an energy drink, but it was quite clearly not legal.

His world turned into foam rubber and the walls around him began wobbling. He laughed childishly and bumped into one. It didn't hurt at all. In fact, it was quite pleasant.

It seemed as though he was in complete bliss. And for once, it remained that way instead of turning into a nightmare.

He continued to bounce around, seemingly weightless. Until he began feeling sleepy. He lied down on the soft pavement and drank from his liquor. It tasted like strawberry, and Matt smiled.

He fell asleep and when he woke up, the world was back to it's normal black.

--

He spent the entire next day smoking. Honestly, he just sat on a bench and smoked. A little girl came up and asked what he was doing.

"Well, honey..." He began. "I'm killing myself."

"Why, mister?" She asked, innocently.

"Because..." Matt thought about how to explain to a kid how it worked. "My friends have gone on a trip, but they're never coming back. And I'm a little sad, so I'm trying to forget by inhaling toxic."

"Is it helping?"

Matt looked at his cancer-stick.

"No, actually."

"Why?"

"'Cause I've smoked so many before. It wears off."

"My mom smokes." The girl stated.

"Good for her."

"But you said it was bad?"

"It is..." Matt pondered. "It's a little thing called irony. Sometimes, grown ups say things they don't mean as a joke."

"But, mom always tells me not to lie."

"Well, it's not actually lying... It's more like... bending the truth."

"Amy!" Someone shouted. "Amy! Oh, there you are." A woman came up to the two.

"This is my new friend. He smokes because he wants to die, but it's not helping. And he lies because it's fun, too. Why do you smoke, mom?"

Her mother gasped.

"What is your problem!? You can't say those things to a child!" Her mother scolded Matt, who just puffed on his cigarette.

"She asked me." Matt said flatly. "I just told her the truth."

"Well,uh..." The mother began angrily, but couldn't think of a retort. "Come on, Amy. Let's go."

"Goodbye Mr. Bat!" The small hedgehog said.

"Bye Amy." Matt said, leaning back. He felt a little happier now. That conversation had made his last day worth living.

This night he was gonna slaughter whoever killed his only friends.

Come hell or high water.

He took another drag and coughed, for the first time in years.

--

The night was definitely unforgiving. It was cold and dark. Lonely.

Matt shook the thought away and kept walking mechanically. His trigger finger itched. He needed to shoot something, right now.

As he turned into an alley, he saw a box conveniently placed in gun-height.

Counting to 3, he turned his back and fired towards it.

He turned back and smirked when he saw that he'd hit.

"Shooting boxes? I thought you were more expensive." A familiar voice said behind him.

"You again? I thought I told you to piss off not too long ago ."

"I didn't." Rouge said, moving slowly towards him. He pulled out his gun and aimed at her head.

"I'm not in the mood for your shit." He said icily. "I'm giving you ONE last chance to haul your ass out of my sight."

Rouge sighed. "Always cutting to the chase."

"Yeah, well I ain't got the time. I got people to murder in cold blood."

"Like the ones who ratted on Utopia?"

Matt froze. Actually, his entire soul froze.

"You... You know who did it?" He asked desperately. "Tell me... Tell me now."

"Why?" Rouge fished.

"First..." Matt said, moving up to her. "I'll tear your head off with my bare hands. Then, I'll bury you, dig you up again, throw you in lava and piss on you."

Rouge had heard a lot of threats and insults in her life, but that one, in that special blood curdling tone, was probably the scariest one she'd ever experienced.

"It was DeVito. He ordered the kill." She said, fear shrilling her voice somewhat. Matt could hear her heart pounding rapidly.

"We never finished him off..." Matt thought aloud. "Tell me, where is he?"

"The Redora High-rise. You can't miss it." Rouge continued. "He survived and ordered your deaths... Guess he missed you."

""If you're lying to me now..." Matt said in the same bloody tone.

Rouge gulped, indicating the opposite.

"Fine." Matt said, flapping his wings sharply to gain altitude. Rouge saw him flying off into the night and shuddered.

"I'm glad that's over." She said, holding her forehead.

--

Notes:

Whew, long update again. Sorry 'bout that.

Well, here you see how Matt tries to deal with his loss. Maybe the lead he got in the end till be enough?

I don't know. We'll see what comes out of my brain and onto the screen.

See y'all!

/Matti


	7. Chapter 6: United we stand, live we fall

**Chapter 6: United we stand, in glory we fall**

The Redora High-rise building. The secret headquarters of Earnest DeVito's shady business. It shone eerily in the night.

Looking up, Matt figured DeVito's room is probably up top. He could probably fly up there, but that would remove the fun part...

The break in.

He could picture the surprised faces of his hired crooks as he shot them down one by one. His hands tingled. It was time.

--

Matt walked up to the receptionist.

"Hello, how may I help you?" He asked in a pleasant tone.

"Hi. Um, could you tell me where the bathroom is?" Matt asked.

"Sure, it's down the hall and to the left."

"All right..." Matt nodded. "Where is the loud speaker system?"

"I have the controls here... why?"

"Oh, I was just gonna put on some music."

The clerk stared at him dumbly.

"Is this some kind of practical joke?"

"No." Matt said flatly.

"Well, uhh... I can't let you use those."

"Really?"

"No."

"What a shame." Matt said, shoving a knife through the clerk's throat. He walked around the desk, picked out his mp3 player and hooked it up. Before long, the tunes of "Cigaro" rang throughout the building.

One guard came running up to him, but he simply threw the knife mentioned previously at him and hit the lung.

A few more came along, no match. Matt pulled out his gun and scored 3 head shots in a row.

He picked up one of their machine guns and mowed down the ones that followed, before flying up the stairs and knocking down whoever got in his way.

The second floor was guarded heavier. Matt had to duck behind a plant to avoid getting hit. When his adversary reloaded, Matt popped out and emptied his MP5 into the poor guy.

Now empty, he threw the gun to the floor and hurried on towards the elevator. He pushed the button and waited for a pace-killing total of 3 minutes before it came. He stepped inside together with an old man and two female cats.

"Hi." He said obliviously. "Howya doin'?"

"Umm, fine?" One of the girls replied. "We're heading home for the night, you?"

"I'm just getting started." Matt said, wiping a piece of someone else from his coat. It hit the ground with a slosh.

Nobody uttered a sound, as if they were all listening to the funky elevator tune.

The elevator went up...

The old man got off...

It got up some more...

The girls got off...

And Matt was alone. He cocked his gun and shook his head.

"This is why I always take the stairs.." He thought. "This is so boring."

He picked up the emergency phone.

"Hello, what's the problem?" A voice asked on the other end.

"Someone's broken in and is shooting everyone! Ahh!" Matt replied.

"Where is he now!?" The voice requested.

"Floor 52! Please hurry!" Matt hung up.

He waited for a long, long while until finally, the door slid open.

Revealing an entire strike force waiting for him.

Matt smirked. "Ladies first." He said, and the firefight began...

--

"DeVito! Your guards are completely useless!" Matt yelled. "I know you're in there, I'm coming for you!"

"You'll never get me alive!" DeVito responded.

Matt sighed and kicked down the office door, revealing and empty desk and chair with a hidden door behind hem.

"That son of a-!" Matt yelled and ran after him up the hidden staircase. DeVito was just out of aim, but Matt could definitely hear him.

"I'm coming for you!" Matt screamed. "You're gonna pay!"

Earnest didn't respond. He was too busy moving his feet as fast as his dog body would allow.

Matt chased him for what seemed like an eternity, howling after him all the while. Soon, they ended up on the roof, with nowhere left for DeVito to run.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Matt yelled. "I got you now!"

"Please, I-!" DeVito was cut off by Matt punching him in the face, causing him too reel backwards.

"You killed them..." Matt said, hitting him again. "You killed my only friends..."

"I didn't-" He was once again cut off, this time by a knee to the gut. He was nearing the edge.

"Shut up!" Matt commanded. "You're gonna pay with your life before I can rest!"

"Please, listen-" Kick to the head. Below him was only the ceaseless traffic zooming by at unbelievable speed. Only a few parked cars stood still near the building.

Earnest swallowed hard, thinking about what would happen if he was to land down there.

"You have no idea what you got yourself into when you messed with us!" Matt roundhoused him over the edge and grabbed his arm.

"Please! Don't let me go!" Earnest pleaded. His heart beat so hard it hurt and he was crying openly.

"Give me ONE good reason!" Matt screamed at him.

"Because..." DeVito began. "I didn't do it!"

"Then who did, hmm!?" Matt responded.

"I did, Matt" A voice chilled him to the heart.

He slung DeVito back onto the roof and that coward ran for the door and closed it behind him with a resounding slam.

"... I should've known." Matt said. "It had to be you. Who else could it have been?"

Matt shook his head. He turned around slowly.

"I never expected you to sink this low. Not even I'm that cold hearted."

"Well, well, well. Look who's talking." The person said.

"I thought I knew you." Matt began, completely stunned.

"See. Never trust anyone."

"It was you all along." Matt looked up at the assailant. "Isn't that right, Rouge?"

--

Notes:

OMG the CLIFFHANGUR AKSHUN!!11111oneoneone

That was fast. I finished quiker than I had expected, but I still think this is enough. Excuse me if it is a little short.  
I needed to cut so the last chapter would be more whippy.

The next chapter will contain the resolution you've all been waiting for.

I'll finish it as fast as I can for you guys.

Betcha didn't see that one coming, eh?

/Matti


	8. Final Chapter: The long and winding road

**Chapter 7: The long and winding road**

The roof seemed to turn into ice beneath their feet. The sky cracked open and began raining slightly.

It felt like they were the only two people on planet Mobius.

She held her gun with grace, pointing directly at his head from a few feet away. Matt stared at her in awe.

He never thought she was even vaguely involved any more than an informant...

"So, what'd it give you?" Matt asked emotionlessly.

"What, this hit?" Rouge asked back at him.

"No, the hamburger you ate on the way here."

"32 grand and a job for an underground agency."

"Why? Why us?" Matt questioned.

"The three of you were wanted by both cops and killers. I could've gotten twice the money for one of you."

"Don't talk like they were items." Matt stated.

"Why not? You always did."

The rain fell silently around the two bats. Matt stared right into her eyes, into her soul. He couldn't see anything mirrored.

"By the way, how did you find out?" Matt asked quizzingly.

"Oh, the address?" Rouge excavated a small sound recorder and pressed play.

"_...Killed two parents while their kid was on her way home. She called right while I was aiming my gun at them. Then, I saw her on my way back to Utopia._" Matt recognized his own voice.

"_Utopia?"_ It was the lion man he recalled talking to.

"_Underground hideout. Safe from everyone. It's in the sewers below Station Square."_

"_You're telling me this because...?"_

"_You're dead anyway. By the way, I think it's time for me to leave."_

"_Time to go? I enjoyed speaking with you."_

"_Yep. Thanks for letting me open up to you. Sayonara."_

Followed by a gunshot and then Matt's boots clicking against the floor. A while later, The window crashed and Rouge spoke on the tape;

"_This was too easy."_

Then silence.

Matt gawked.

"You rigged... You rigged his room with a recorder?" Matt stuttered.

"I can't believe how lucky I was." Rouge said, smirking.

Matt clenched his fists. Why'd he have to say that?

"This was all my fault..." Matt realized. "If I hadn't... They'd never..."

Rouge actually felt a little sorry for him now. She kept aiming at him, though.

He stood still for a long time, staring into the ground. His thoughts seemed to escape him, as if his mind had gotten slippery. Every time he got a hold of a thought, it slipped away just as fast.

The deaths of his companions were his own fault. His weakness and doubt had led to the end of the only people in the world that he had ever trusted. Now, he was standing on the edge of a rooftop, on a rainy night with a gun pointed at him.

He let loose a tear. It rolled down his cheek and blended with the rain water.

Rouge was beginning to feel worried. Maybe she should just shoot him now?

Suddenly he spoke up.

"Can I ask you something, Rouge?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Matt laughed hysterically, and nearly broke down before pulling himself together and checking his bullets.

"Tell me..." He began, pushing the clip back into his gun. "Do you believe in reincarnation? You know, rebirth... That kinda thing?"

"I guess?" She replied uneasily.

"Great!" He said, and quickly aimed at her. "Then I'll see you soon!"

--

What happened next went in slow motion for both of them. Rouge's aim was put off a little from the shock, but she fired by instinct and noticed that Matt didn't. In a split second she realized why...

He dropped his gun. Just let it go. He had no bullets left, and what point was there to live anyway?

She screamed his name as her bullet hit him straight in the heart. It felt like the shot had sliced it in two...

He raised his head and looked emptily into the sky. It was too late for him.

Matt fell off the roof with his arms outstretched. He could easily have flown back up, but this time... It was the end.

A million lights from the windows passed him. They turned into stripes and soon became one single blur. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly.

Considering how fast he fell, a lot of things managed to mangle their way through his head.

He remembered his tattered childhood, his abusive mother and estranged siblings. How he had run away for the sake of his own life...

He remembered the time he spent in school and didn't learn a thing anyway. All the people who had looked down on him as unteachable, a rat...

He remembered living on the street, only occasionally affording to sleep at a hotel. The hardest part of it all. He could go nearly a week without proper food. The only thing he had lived on were his prayers...

He remembered meeting Nike and Andy, and together forming the Lawbreakers. His ticket into a real life. But now, it was over...

Lastly, he remembered the face on the girl whose parents he had killed, but she smiled at him.

Yes, she smiled at him. Was God trying to tell him something? Was he forgiven?

He smiled to himself as he felt the car twisting under the impact he was making.

He opened his eyes.

The end.

--

There is no way to control the hands of time.

All we can do is ride along and smile merrily, acting as though nothing is going on.

Some people spend their entire lives sitting on one single arm, smiling happily until the day they fall off and die.

Others might jump off on purpose. Perhaps the pressure of life becomes too much? The suicidal Carrie had gotten lucky, all she needed was a kick in the back.

Some might never get the opportunity.

In order to make something off your single existence here on earth, you have to balance staying and jumping the arms. Get a little high, drop a little low. Live the life.

Like it was meant to. Since the beginning of time.

--

Rouge didn't sleep well at all that entire week. Every day it seemed to be one worse nightmare after the other. Tonight, though, there was a calm wave in the air.

She rested her beautiful body on the bed, stretching and moaning in pleasure as her back snapped.

Feeling calm, she closed her eyes and rolled over. She stayed in this tranquility for a timeless moment until she felt a warm breath at the base of her neck.

It pleased her in a way she'd never felt before. So close and caring, like a hush...

She moaned weakly and felt fingers striving their way along her throat down toward her breasts.

"Oh..." She felt complete ecstasy. Suddenly, the loving strokes turned into troubled clawing and the warm breath turned ice cold.

Terrified, she slowly turned her head.

"Did you miss me!?" Matt howled at her with his frighteningly dislocated face and broken body.

Rouge awoke from her own screams, and panted heavily.

"Thank god..." She began. "It was just a dream..."

Laying down, she felt the cold air again.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

--

"Wow, his body is completely trashed. And his heart has been cleaved in two..." A scientist said.

"Yes, he was beyond saving even if he hadn't fallen off the roof." The coroner replied.

"Any ID?"

"No, not a single trace."

"Oh great, another John Doe for the morgue." The scientist rolled his eyes.

They both left and shut the door behind them.

An obese man in a lab coat opened the door a while later. He investigated the body and it's wounds.

"A perfect carrier for my experiments." He said, rubbing his mustache.

--

Notes:

The AIND!

This is most likely my first finished story EVER! Please! Leave a review and tell me what you liked/disliked!

How did you like the ending? Think it leans towards a sequel? ;)

Right now I'm gonna have me a Pepsi and rest my tense shoulders and fingers.

Thanks all you who have read this and found it interesting, I appreciate it.

Dammit, I don't want this to be the last time I write notes on this story! It feels odd.

Oh well. I should have slept 4 hours ago. I guess my mind is playing tricks on me.

Let's end with a disclaimer, shall we?

**None of the copyrighted characters in this work of fan fiction belong to me. They are all property of their respective owners at SEGA. The characters that belong to me are free of use as long as you mention my name in the credits/disclaimer.**

Thank all of you who read this fic, **I love you all!!**

_/MattiTheWizard 26/05/08 05:33_


End file.
